ISSN 2374-4464

The questionnaire to the Swedish artists duo, Djurberg & Berg

June 2016_by Federica Tattoli

Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg debut their new film work, Worship (2016) in which they seduce and shock us, blending desire and fantasy. Their unique universe also inhabits the beech forest of the Wanas Foundation sculpture park as they display a work outdoors for the first time. In this installation, nature has changed proportions and color, and the accompanying sound both mimics and warps the natural surroundings. The close relatives of In Dreams (2016) are found in the richly populated world of Carroll’s Wonderland— pink acorns wear ruffled underpants and a bird in heavy make-up smokes out of its rear end. In this work, nonsense violates our attempts to make the world understandable; nonsense is rebellion. Like a segment of illusory nature, the sculptures are placed on a mirroring surfacethat encourages self-reflection and self-centeredness. Djurberg discusses the installation as a place that channels the transitional experience between dream and wakefulness.

How would you present your work?

As it is needed for the space where we are exhibiting, or what we feel like in the moment.

Where do you make your works?

We have our studios at home.

At the Wanås Foundation, for the first time you approach an outdoor situation with In Dreams (2016), how was this experience and which kind of work you create for the sculpture park?

Elisabeth Millqvist asked us some years ago, and we said no because we didn’t have an idea. We were concerned about ruining the amazing nature there, and not being used to make works for daylight. But she was persistent, although not pushy, and then we had an idea that we couldn’t resist making.

The idea was to make a cut-out of nature, like a split in reality, where things are not so solidified, and could still be up for interpretation. To make an outer image of an inner transformation.

In which way the Nature of the park inspired you?

It inspired us to not trying to ruin it, we kept on asking ourselves, “can art really be better than nature?” and if we could do something that would not compete with the nature in the park, or make you wish you were just out in nature, without having to look at art.

Dream and nightmares, what is the meaning for you and into your works?

Dreams are mostly just leftovers from whatever we experience in the waking state. Whatever you have to process, you do, in one way or another. Or they tell you your desires or what you are trying to aviod seeing.

But in this work we are not really concerned with night time dreams but transition and desires in the waking state, as when you go through transition in your life, from child to grownup, from non sexual to discovering sexuality, from being certain you know how things are until you realise you know nothing.

Dream and wakefulness...

Dream or wakefulness? I don’t know, both are pretty good.

Could you tell me something about your new film Worship?

It’s about worship - about taking something that might seem trivial or silly, or superficial, and then scrape on that surface and go down until it becomes worship. In this film it’s about sexuality.

The music helps you to really go down, it affects your body, when the sound is cranked up loud, so it becomes a physical experience. Pleasant or unpleasant is just a question of taste in music.

What can’t be missing from your worktable?

There’s no specific thing, and if something would be missing, them you would do without it. Unless it’s one of Hans' synthesizers.

Noooo we don’t really think like that, it’s fantastic when someone buys a work, but wishing for something like that wouldn’t be fruitful at all, it might even make you want to adjust your work so it would fit into that specific collection.

A museum where you’d like to have an exhibition?

Of course there are some places where we really would like to exhibit, but whenever we have a show, our attention is just there, wishing just keeps it in the future.

The market or your need to express?

Our need to express.

Lightness or depth?

Both, mixed together. Or going really really fast from one to the other.

Day or night?

Both, the night is lovely, but so is the day. How ever could you choose?

A question you’ve never been asked but one you’ve always wanted to answer?

Answer that question…

The previous one, lightness or depth. And we just answered it!

Could you briefly describe one of your latest works?

Sure, we just finished some sculptures that is an extension and more solid form of the film Worship, and they are both light or humorous - on the superficial level- and still have depth -at least for us.

They are sausages and bananas, covered in diamonds, bathing rings and tires, in soft and hard materials, mattresses and bows.

What are you reading?

Nathalie: nothing. Hans: Jitterbug Perfume.

A film?

Nathalie: 24 hour party people, or American: The Bill Hicks Story. Hans: Interstellar ( I was very inspired by the music).

Where would you like to live?

We live where we want to live. When we didn’t want to live here anymore, we moved away, then missed it and moved back. Usually, you take yourself with you when you move,

so as long as you do that, there’s really no point. So if I could leave myself here, i would be happy going anywhere. (this is Nathalie’s answer).

Do you have reference artists? Artists you’d like to work with?

No, we like working alone. But we would love to have more artist friends.

A project, related to art, that you’d like to do?

Hans would like to remix and release the music he makes for the animations, although he already releases his techno music.

If you weren’t an artist, what job would you like?

Nathalie would like to pet animals, an Animal Petter. But she really doesn’t like responsibility so just petting them would be enough.

Yes or no to curators? If yes, who would you choose?

Yes to curators, before we didn’t really understand how good they can be. You can’t pick one, they pick us.

A dream of yours?

I hate the dreams where you end up without pants in public. Otherwise, complete mental freedom.